As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’m not usually super adventurous with my hair. Maybe it’s a bit of a security blanket, but I have it down as often as possible and have been wearing it quite long for a few years now. My go-to everyday style is always down and either natural waves or curling it with a straightener (I did a tutorial on how I curl my hair with a flat iron that you should definitely check out). If I do these kind of curls, they often last me 3-5 days! With the same ol’ look starting to get to me, I’ve been searching for other ways to style my ultra thick locks that isn’t high maintenance.
I gave a couple easy looks a try in case you’re also feeling like your second (or third or fourth) day curls are getting a little tired.
The classic half up half down. I actually created this exact look for my cousin’s wedding in Palm Springs last month. It was the perfectly safe way to still have my hair down..ish.
You’ll need a middle part and curled hair, of course. I have naturally very thick hair, but if you need to create volume at the roots, I’d do a little backcombing. Using my thumbs, I find the approximate spot that I want my hair to separate and then gently swoop my thumbs along the scalp toward the back of my head and separate the hair. This can take a few times to get it even. All you need now is to swirl that hair into a messy bun and to stick a few bobby pins in to keep things secure. If you’ve made the bun too tight, pull a little bit at the front section to loosen things up a little. That’s honestly it!
My variation of this is of course the half top knot. Just couldn’t get one to work on this particular day though, and if there’s one thing to know about hairstyling, it’s that if it doesn’t work after three tries, it’s time to move on to another option.
The messy braid! I finally realized that the trick to this one is old hair that is already curled. It isn’t as slippery as freshly styled hair and helps create that messy look seamlessly.
I go all out and “french braid” but, purposely make it as sloppy as possible. I find it best to start the braid at the back and then bring it to one side as you go. Once all the hair is in the braid, I secure it at the end with a matching elastic. I then pull apart the hair within the pleats to make the braid a bit larger. I also play around with pieces by tucking in strays and I always make sure to criss-cross bobby pins along the back. My hair is quite stubborn and will easily fall out of a braid if it’s not properly secured. I also used a touch of hairspray to try and keep this look in place for as long as possible.
This one would look so cute styled with a big sweater and some leggings over the holidays, don’t you think?!
Makeup by Denise Elliott / Photos by To Vogue Or Bust
Haha! I totally know the three-tries then forget situation. My hair does not hold curls from hot tools for long, which is random because it’s quite wavy on its own. But I love the braid, I’m going to have to try it.